Ukiah City Council delays vote on Costco EIR

After more than three hours of discussion Wednesday, the Ukiah City Council decided to delay a vote on the Environmental Impact Report for a potential Ukiah Costco store.

"This is being abundantly cautious, but we think it's being prudent," Planning Director Charley Stump said, explaining that based on the stack of comments presented to city staff at the meeting, he wanted more time to make sure everything had been adequately considered.

The store would be built on 15.33 acres near the Ken Fowler Auto Center on Airport Park Boulevard and include a bakery, pharmacy, tire center and gas station. It is estimated to collect $120 million a year.

Michael Okuma, director of real estate development for Costco, said the company had looked at many sites in the Ukiah Valley for years and "we believe this site is the right place and works well for us."

Consultant Brian Grattidge said the project's EIR found seven potentially significant impacts, three related to air quality. The other four were related to traffic, and he said all of them would be mitigated by the traffic improvements the city agreed to complete, the majority of which involves reworking the interchange of southbound Highway 101 and Talmage Road.

"Our intention is once the Talmage Interchange starts construction, we will shortly after begin construction (on the warehouse)," Okuma said. "Under no terms will we open the warehouse until the interchange construction is completed."

Council member Benj Thomas noted that much of the concern expressed by the public has been about the store's gas station, and Vice-mayor Phil Baldwin asked Okuma if a warehouse without a gas station was being considered.

Okuma said the company was now building all of its warehouses with gas stations and proclaimed that "our gas stations have a superior design to many other retailers and we have the track record to prove it."

Numerous speakers addressed the council, many strongly in favor and many strongly opposed.

"The city is laboring under a fantasy that Costco will solve all its problems through increased revenues," said Jim Houle of Redwood Valley, adding that the money for the interchange improvements is still uncertain.

Stump told the Planning Commission last month that his staff was "confident the money is there and the design will be approved by Caltrans."

Other residents argued that the jobs Costco would provide were sorely needed.

College student Allison Peters said she knew many people who "can't find a job in this town that pays more than minimum wage, and allowing a retailer that does is going to help a lot of people."

Ukiah High School teacher Kent Porter agreed, telling the council that the city needed Costco because "they provide good wages. We've got to stop being the marijuana capital of the world and start being adults."

Since the significant air quality impacts can't be mitigated, the council must adopt a "Statement of Overriding Considerations," meaning it believes the store's positive impacts will outweigh the negatives. It will also need to approve a rezoning of the store's site.